Search results for "islands of fiji"

Sunday is the perfect day to go to the beach in Tonga – if you're a visitor; an islander found swimming on the Sabbath is subject to a fine. Yes, they do take their religion seriously in the "Friendly Isles." Tonga, like its neighbor to the west, Fiji, is not just one island, but an entire archipelago of far-flung isles. In Tonga's case, the islands number about 170 (only about 45 are inhabited), geographically divided into four distinct groups. Tongatapu, with the capital of Nuku'alofa, is the hub of this island chain in western Polynesia. Two of every three Tongans live here ...

An unspoiled corner of Fiji, Kadavu is a beautiful mountainous island with waterfalls, rounded hilltops, outstanding beaches and high rocky cliffs. It offers interesting bush walks, charming rockpools, luxuriant native trees and fascinating birdlife, particularly the famous red and green Kadavu parrots. Kadavu (pronounced Kahn-da-voo), has a population of approximately 8700 and lies only 88 kilometers south of Suva. Kadavu is approximately 48 kilometers in length and varies in width from 365 meters to 13 kilometers. Its area is 411 square kilometers, just a bit less than Taveuni. Kadavu ha...

You might say there are two types of visitors who come to the Mamanucas Islands of Fiji: Hardcore surfers and anyone else looking for a small, private island paradise. The surfers have been making the journey to these stunning coral islands since the mid-1980s, since word first started to get around about an extraordinary surf spot called Cloudbreak off Tavarua Island. Meanwhile, the trend toward exclusive private island resorts blossomed throughout Fiji, especially in the Mamanucas, close to Fiji's international airport in Nadi on the island of Viti Levu. Tavarua remains a surfer’...

In a world where even small remote islands have become popular tourist destinations, it's increasingly rare to find a sizable South Pacific isle that has remained largely undeveloped. And therein lies the basic charm of Vanua Levu, the second largest among Fiji's 300 or so islands. Just over 100 miles long Vanua Levu (pronounced vah-NEW-ah LAY-vu) is a good base for adventurous souls who prefer rainforest hikes, bird-watching, and snorkeling to, say, golf, tennis, and spas. The interior of the island is rugged, and green fields of sugar cane cover the north and west coasts like a s...

Taveuni is sometimes called Fiji's "Garden Isle," and while it has spectacular landscapes, the island is best known for its diving – some of the finest in the South Pacific. But this is not diving for the novice. Sites in the Somosomo Strait, a narrow channel between Taveuni and the larger island of Vanua Levu, are renowned for their amazing walls of soft corals – and for the strong currents that can unsettle beginning divers. For the experienced, the rewards of diving the famed 20-mile-long Rainbow Reef include tropical fish beyond count (one site that lives up to its name: The Fish F...

Of the 400 or so islands that make up the nation of Fiji, Viti Levu is the largest – and a cultural crossroads of the South Pacific. But even with its international airport in Nadi (pronounced NAN-dee), Viti Levu is sometimes overlooked by visitors eager to hop off to one of Fiji’s enchanting outlying isles.. Viti Levu is not so much a beach getaway (the best beaches and diving are along the Coral Coast on the west side of the island), as a place rich with the possibilities that come with tropical mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and traditional Fijian villages. Hiking, rafting (including tr...